The browning of baked goods due to caramelization of sugars, oxidative browning of sugars, and Maillard reactions (reaction of reducing sugars and amino acids) is well known in the art. Browning causes the baked goods to develop a dark color and a taste which is different from goods made from sucrose (table sugar). Browning is a problem when reducing monosaccharides, e.g., fructose or glucose and high fructose corn syrup, are used in baked goods in place of or in addition to sucrose, a non-reducing disaccharide. Various methods have been used to minimize these browning reactions. For example, it is known that these reactions occur more readily at a pH above 6. Adjustment of the pH by altering the leavening systems, in particular the soda (sodium bicarbonate) have been used to control pH in baked good dough or batter during preparation and baking, thereby controlling browning in the finished products.
Volpe and Meres, "Use of High Fructose Syrups in White Layer Cake", The Bakers Digest, Vol. 50, No. 2, pp. 38-41 (1976) discuss the effects of various leavening systems on batter and cake pH. The occurrence of the Maillard reaction and the resulting cake volume and color were measured in products containing high fructose corn syrup.
Shallenberger, R. S. and Birch, G. G., "Nonenzymic Browning Reactions", Sugar Chemistry, Chapter 7, pp. 169-193 (1975), describe color formation and flavor formation in carbonyl-amine reactions (Maillard reactions) as well as the effect of temperature, pH, moisture, and sugar type on the reaction. Color development and carbon dioxide evolution are said to increase with increasing temperature. Browning reactions are said to decrease with decreasing pH.
Prouty, W. W., "pH--Some Theoretical and Practical Considerations", The Bakers Digest, Vol. 41, No. 2, pp. 48-53 (1967), also discloses the use of leavening agents to control the pH of baked goods. It is stated that cake pH is related to volume, grain, color, aroma, and taste.
It has now been found that the use of various leavening acids at a concentration high enough to adequately control browning in baked goods by lowering the pH can impart an off-flavor to the baked goods, particularly in cookies containing high fructose corn syrup or invert syrups.
It is therefore an object of this invention to control the browning of baked goods and, in particular, to control the browning of cookies containing reducing sugars without development of an off-flavor in the cookies due to the additives used to control pH.
It is another object of this invention to improve the appearance of dual-textured cookies prepared from a plurality of doughs by controlling the browning of a dough containing reducing sugars so that it blends in with the color of a dough containing sucrose in the baked cookie.
These and other objects of this invention will become apparent by the description of the invention below.
All percentages are by weight unless otherwise defined.